11 November 2004	Thursday	27 Ramazan 1425

NEW DELHI, Nov 10: India is to sign a 230 million dollars defence deal with Israel for the supply of 50 drone aircraft, The Asian Age reported on Wednesday.

It said Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee was planning to realize the deal for 50 Heron/Eagle drones.

"Sources here confirmed that the transaction is imminent, taking forward the growing defence relations that have turned Israel from a marginal player to the second-largest weapons supplier to India after Russia," The Age said.

It said the reports of ongoing defence transactions has created alarm in the Arab world, with Al-Jazeera carrying an Israeli confirmation that the deal will soon be initialled by India.

This would be the second batch of UAVs, with New Delhi having signed an earlier $550 million deal with Israel.

The Heron/Eagle drone is a medium-altitude long-endurance type unmanned aerial vehicle that can operate at a distance of more than 1,000 km and at altitudes above 25,000 feet for more than 24 hours.